From repurposing furniture to adding a touch of DIY flair, transform an old kitchen cart into the centerpiece of your space
The coveted kitchen island is often the envy of many homeowners—extra counter space, a place to host guests, and drawers and storage for days. But with the cost of a kitchen island reaching into the thousands, this relatively permanent and pricey installation is not always in the cards. Check out this list of low-cost kitchen alternatives, updates, and storage ideas to streamline your kitchen flow without breaking your budget.
There's no need to stick with the traditional island setup, especially in a small kitchen where you're looking to save space. On a basic level, a kitchen island simply:
sits in the center or off to the side of the room, several feet from your primary counter space and appliances.
provides extra counter space for food prep, dining, or decor.
often includes drawers, cabinets, or shelves for storage.
allows space on either side for easy movement through the kitchen.
In other words, there are plenty of DIY kitchen island ideas outside of the norm. A fully installed kitchen island connects right to the room’s floor and can even jut out as an extension of the wall or current counter—a bit like a peninsula. You'll also find islands on wheels or traditional table legs, making them a bit more flexible than an installation.
With budget and a heart for DIY in mind, here are some of the most popular kitchen island alternatives for a range of home styles.
The most straightforward way to solve the flexible kitchen island issue is opting for a kitchen cart. Carts come in endless styles, trendy kitchen colors, and price ranges. Most distinctly, kitchen carts often come on wheels, making them easy to place where you wish or move them out of the way when you need more space.
Choose a traditional table—either a home bar or breakfast nook—with a sturdy wooden tabletop. Like the kitchen cart, you can purchase these options specifically designed to act as a kitchen workspace or repurpose a table with a similarly sturdy structure.
A long, narrow dining space can blend seamlessly with your counters, especially if you have an open wall to play with. Choose a thin dining table with similar or complementary material to your kitchen and opt for chairs or stools easy to tuck out of sight.
Color is one of the easiest ways to update a room’s energy, especially one as lively as the kitchen. If you're working with an older or second-hand piece of furniture, consider adding a bold paint color as an affordable upgrade. Remember that you can mix and match paint colors for the island's drawers, shelves, and seating.
Waist-high dressers can transform into movable kitchen islands by installing caster wheels on the base of each corner. The drawers themselves act as natural kitchen storage, while the sturdy wooden top mirrors the look of a kitchen counter. Attach a large cutting board or butcher block to the top for extra space.
Sometimes the simplest changes make the most significant impact. Switch out the knobs and handles on your DIY kitchen cart to create a vintage, minimalist, or even industrial look in your kitchen. Not only is replacing kitchen cabinet hardware an easy DIY project, but it's also a low-budget way to show off some style preferences as well.
Not all eye-catching style changes in your kitchen have to be out in the open at all times. If you have a drawer on your current kitchen cart or island, add a utensil organizer to streamline your cooking process. The smallest feature can transform a "stuff" drawer into one of the most important areas of the kitchen.
Who said your island had to be one large piece of furniture? By adding a smaller cart off the side of your main island, move essential utensils, ingredients, or pots and pans around the room when you need them. You can also fill the cart with all your baking essentials, tea towels, or even an extra small garbage pail for compost.
The cost to install countertops ranges from $10 to $70 per square foot. Something as comparatively small as a kitchen island or kitchen cart could end up with a brand new cooking workspace for under $100. While you can take on this project yourself, opt for a professional countertop installer for heavy materials like marble and granite.
If your kitchen cart or island can handle the extra weight, extend the counters out a foot beyond the base to include a spot for seating.
You don't have to save new cabinets for the rest of the kitchen. Replace your wooden kitchen cabinets on your DIY cart for between $130 and $200 a cabinet. If you're renovating the rest of the kitchen, speak with your cabinet installers about adding doors with matching colors or materials to your island.
While adding a light fixture is not a simple project to take on yourself, it can upgrade your whole kitchen space for a few hundred dollars. Even if you have a minimalistic kitchen island, installing light fixtures in the area above can transform how you view and use your space.
What's the most exciting thing about all these kitchen island upgrades? Most of them come far under the cost of replacing a kitchen island. Break down which projects are best for you by your ideal budget.
Simple projects like upgrading your kitchen hardware, a DIY painting project, or adding new storage can all fall under $50. A gallon of paint, for example, runs between $25 and $50 depending on the finish. Check out antique stores for unique knobs and drawer handles.
You'll find that most small to mid-sized kitchen carts fall in this range, as well as small kitchen tables and stool sets. Larger and top-quality tables will cost more, but you're likely to find plenty of island-worthy options in this range, especially if you're looking for something quirky at your local antique shop.
Even over $200, you're unlikely to bump up against the cost of a new kitchen island installation. Still, the higher-cost island includes:
Adding lighting above your island
Opting for a larger kitchen cart with a sturdy butcher-block top
Replacing the cabinets and counters
Get creative with kitchen islands by seeing this room in a new light, even if you're working with a smaller area. The most important thing is that you feel inspired by your space and comfortable enough to whip up your next favorite recipe. For an extra set of eyes, work with your local kitchen designer for some unique ideas and upgrades.
